Samsung forum: Cheap Galaxy SIII (S3) Cracked Screen

Along with my multi-thousand dollar 50" DLP TV, which had a defective chip that they came out and replaced 2 years outside of warranty for free because it was a quality issue, my Web-Connected BluRay Player and dozens of DVD & BluRay Burners, and many other Samsung products, I have owned Samsung phones of various models (Brick / Clam, Moment, Epic 4G, Epic 4G Touch, Galaxy SIII, etc) over the years, never with an issue. UNTIL NOW.

Most recently, I had the original Galaxy S (Epic 4G on Sprint). Like most normal people, this phone was regularly dropped, carried in my pocket for nearly 2 years with normal wear and tear. Beyond a small chip on the edge of the plastic, it never had an issue. I work an office job, I'm not some construction worker that ran it over with a truck or something.

Because of all the good experience, I decided to fork over another $200 and be locked into a 2 year contract to get the new Galaxy S3 a few weeks ago - it is an amazing phone - however, last week i dropped it FROM LESS THAN 2 FEET and to my horror, the screen is completely shattered. To top it off, just from being set down on tabletop surfaces (like my desk at work), the entire case is scratched, dented, and chipped - even the camera lens is so cheap that it's scratched to the point that the camera can't focus to take a decent picture - everything comes out blurry.

Obviously, without paying the $150 deductible to Sprint to get the phone replaced with another remanufactured version of this same cheap plastic phone, Samsung has left me out to dry. Multiple drawn out phone calls where the rep says they will "transfer me to a supervisor" and actually hangs up on me.

Apparently this is a common problem, I've found HUNDREDS of nearly identical stories to mine online, so I can't imagine this won't become a class action lawsuit unless Samsung works to make this right. Even if it means trading down to a higher-quality build (perhaps the Galaxy Nexus doesn't have these problems?).

I can say that for me, if Samsung doesn't fix this, I'll never again buy one of their products.

None of the executive customer care numbers seem to work anymore. Help!

However, the original Galaxy had Gorilla glass, which despite many MUCH higher falls on much worse surfaces (including concrete and asphalt), NEVER had an issue. The S3 is touted to have "Gorilla Glass 2" which is even more durable, yet completely shattered from a very short distance fall on a relatively flat surface (tile floor).

Do you remember the physicists that loved to calculate the pressure created at the tips of high heeled shoes? Same problem. If the device impacts at just the right angle and spot, game over.

Many folk opt for that other insurance against drops and more.

But that's not why I responded. It's because this is not the only model you see that is killed by a bad fall. The design is not made to withstand every drop from every possible angle so you see folk add an otterbox or another layer of protection. I know I did.Bob

...to not render a brand new phone completely unusable in the first month from fairly light usage, they should be included with the sale phone. Quality is supposed to improve with time and technological advancements, not get worse. I've NEVER had a case on a phone and I've never had one break like this.

Samsung S3 screen can be destroyed completely if the mobile dropped from distance less than 25 CM! Actually this what happened with me My new mobile slide from my bag 2nd day i got it & reached the floor -distance less than 25 CM- with no hard items on the floor & the screen completely destroyed! The big surprise mobile was already protected by Screen protector & Cover!! What else i can do? Also the authorized agents for repairing the mobile said its misuse and it can''''t be included in the 14 days warranty which I have right now and I have to pay about 1/3 of the Mobile price for a new screen! Really very bad, I don't recommend to anyone to buy this mobile.

NB: this happened also with 3 of my Friends but the screen was started many destroyed but was scratched many scratch and all these accidents happened in their 1st week after purchaseL

I just got the Nexus S3 right when it came out.. i have taken care of it like no other making sure not to drop it or scratch it and just mainly maintaining it the best to my abilities. Last night i was walking to a friends and I pulled it out of my pocket and the whole screen was spidered... Cheap Cheap screens they better be doing something to fix this!

I just bought a Samsung S3 phone last week. It was in my purse, which fell off the table....cracked the screen. My phone was only 8 days old!!! $200 original cost + 2 year verizon contract, and now I need to shell out another $150 deductible to get the S3 phone replaced. I am steamed! I had an iPhone for 3 years prior, and dropped it plenty of times without shattering the screen. I almost feel as though I need to wrap the phone in cotton batting.

Yes - New purchase from VerisonW. My Galaxy III is now only 31 days old. And it Too shattered the screen.

There are many complaints about this new design - is it the gorilla glass 2 or the Galaxy III? I don't know but it is a BIG problem. I, like many out there, are out of $200+ and need to go back to using the old phone ( in this case my Driod X - zero scratches and perfect glass after a rough year)

My story: I was using the Galaxy III as a GPS, driving. placed phone on center consul. Phone slipped off onto floor mat. Picked it up and the whole front screen was shattered. That is shattered with: only a foot and a half fall. : onto a rubber matt : no hard objects: with a verizon bought screen protector AND brand new hard case !!! Verizon can do nothing for me. I have no new phone phone anymore and the Ins was declined because it would cost $7/mo + $100 to repair the screen ... if I went that route, luckily I didn't ( i would have been pissed to hear about the $100 deductible). No easy answer here other than go back to the old phone and stick with DROID.

And yes, Samsung and Verizon CS were no help. There is no Customer Service anymore only menu prompts, frustration and hangups.

My problem was with the camera. My observation is that the camera lens cover juts out the furthest of everything on the back and is therefore the most susceptible to damage. I too searched the web and found this to be a common theme.

Further, the Chinese suppliers are gearing up by marketing the middle plate for sale in bulk. As for now, I cleaned out the broken glass and the camera is focusing again, although the lens is now exposed.

I just purchased the SAMSUNG Galaxy SIII and with in 14 hours i dropped my phone in the grass and from the point of impact the entire screen shattered. It was less than 2ft from the ground. I just upgraded from the HTC Sensation that has no dent or scratches, and am now stuck with a $130.00 deductible. I could really use some help to get this resolved without forking out another $130.00 within 24 hours.

I dropped my s3 in my car boot as all know car boot has a soft carpet. The screen broke down and stopped working. Very very very cheap material use day Samsung such a shame.... It's gonna cost me abt 350 aus $ to get t fixed

Did you measure the g-force the phone experienced when it came to a stop? And - even more important - are you going to research the design specifications of your future phones to see what the maximum g-force is they are designed to endure during such an unhappy event?

I have no idea what caused my samsung galaxy s3 4g to be cracked around the main menu (middle) butti . It looks as though too much pressure has hit the button, which of course is ridiculous as how foes ones finger pushing a button cause this damage? I am one of those people that take great care when maintaining the durability of all my device's. I have never dropped my mobile! Im am totally stressing because I can't work out what caused this!?It might sound stupid but all I can think of was it was a hot day!..I came home placed my mobile on my bed (like always) nothing was wrong with it did a gew things came bqck to place it on yhe charger and noticed a smashed blob surrounding the main menu button!

I got the Samsung GS3 in early October, after having been an iPhone user for nearly 3 years. When I first got it, it took me a week or two to decide whether or not I was going to be able to adjust to the Droid operating system from the Apple system, so I didn't invest in any sort of case or other protection. I dropped it on the second day, and got a tiny chip at the bottom, which was my fault and no big deal. However, almost 2 months later (I obviously decided to keep it...), I was sitting at dinner, with a case on my phone, and my phone sitting on the table. I used it to text, set it back down, and when I picked it up again like half an hour later, there was a horizontal crack all the way across the screen, halfway between the power button on the side, and the home button at the bottom. I have also had issues with overheating and short battery life. When I called AT&T, they told me they could do nothing because the crack voided the warranty, and advised me to just sell it and buy a new one. Helpful. I then contacted Samsung, because I did NOT cause that crack. After sending it in, they told me that it would be about $180 to replace the screen. I told them I was not going to pay for something that I did not cause. It is not my fault that the phone is defective. They tried to tell me that the phone was not defective, and kept passing me up the line. I had spoken to 5 different people before I finally gave up and said just send my phone back the way it is. This is ridiculous. Worst customer service I have EVER experienced, especially with Samsung (all of my televisions and computers have been Samsung for as long as I can remember, as well as a few cell phone prior to the iPhone). I will definitely not be a returning Samsung customer if this issue doesn't get resolved.

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